Opposition challenged on language policy

WHY are political parties like Labour and Fine Gael so dead set against the Irish language.

Their idea of reducing Irish to a mere choice subject on the Leaving Cert is akin to the State saying the language is of no use any more.

If these parties think this policy will encourage more pupils to learn Irish, they are very misguided.

The same method was employed in England recently when foreign languages were reduced to choice subjects for O and A-level students.

The result was that 60% of students didn’t bother doing the exams at all. This fall-off has so shocked MPs that they are scrambling to make foreign languages compulsory again.

Demoting a language can only have a negative effect while retaining the compulsory element and implementing methods to improve the teaching of Irish in English-medium schools will have the required positive effect.

Rossa Ó Snodaigh

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